• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.135-144
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• 2008

The reason that we are familiar with fashion from the 1950s is because of the work such as New Look done by a french fashion designer, Christian Dior who had taken on an almost mythical significance by his name. Moreover, in the sense of popularity, the appearance of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, two typical Hollywood actresses who each has directly-opposed image, is the symbol of youthful America of the 1950s and represents the remarkable start of the American fashion. Still, these days designers and mass medias recall the fashion from the 50s remaking and parodying it to suit public's taste. Being due to the World War II, Europe suffered not only the loss of its national tradition and reputation but also got a fatal blow politically and economically. On the other hand, the United States of America occupied a primary position in the world and outstandingly became the most powerful country. The American fashion of the 1950s represents youth and newness and rejects outdated and outmoded style. In this period, appears the indication which announces previously the youth culture. Poodle skirt is the fashion item that acquired popularity among young american women and girls in the late 1950s. In effect, it is the fashion as American as apple pie. A costly A-line skirt had been transformed into a cheap felt skirt. Instead of a real poodle dog which was carried by French women like an accessory, they embroidered a poodle dog on the lower edge of their skirt. As deriding the snobbish gait, they swayed themselves frantically to the rhythm of Rock n' Roll which swept those days. This was an attitude of young Americans against the existing trend of Europe. Poodle skirt showed the free spirit and intention of young people unbound to custom and established vogue. In addition, in the aspect of comprising the American spirit of independent, pioneer, and subjective American people, it goes beyond the bounds of common concept of fad. Poodle skirt is an unique symbol of the 1950s' American fashion which prognosticates the advent of the United States and the success in modern fashion world which was changing after 1950s.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.4-14
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• 2010

Collaboration strategies entail information sharing and other varied forms of cooperation that are mutually beneficial to the company and stakeholder groups. This study addresses the specific types of collaboration used in the fashion industry while also examining strategies that have been most successful for fashion companies and perceived benefits of collaboration from the customer perspective. In the present study we define fashion companies and brands as collaborators and their partners or stakeholders as collaboratees. We define collaboration as a cooperative relationship where more than two companies, brands or individuals provide customers with beneficial outcomes utilizing their own competitive advantages on an equal basis. Collaboration strategies entail information sharing and other varied forms of cooperation that are mutually beneficial to the company and stakeholder groups. Through collaboration, fashion companies have pursued both tangible differentiation, such as design and technology applications, and intangible differentiation such as emotional and psychological benefits to customers. As a result, collaboration within the fashion industry has become an important, value creating concept. This qualitative study utilized case studies and in-depth interview methodologies to examine customers' attitudes concerning collaboration in the fashion industry. A total of 173 collaboration cases were identified in Korean and international markets from 1998 through December 2008, focusing on fashion companies. Cases were collected from documented data including websites and industry data bases and top ranked portal search sites such as: Rankey.com; Naver, Daum, and Nate; and representative fashion information websites, Samsungdesignnet and Firstviewkorea. Cases were collected between November 2008 and February 2009. Cases were selected for the analysis where one or more partners were associated with the production of fashion products (excluding textile production), retail fashion products, or designer services. Additional collaboration case information was obtained from news articles, periodicals, internet portal sites and fashion information sites as conducted in prior studies (Jeong and Kim 2008; Park and Park 2004; Yoon 2005). In total, 173 cases were selected for analysis that clearly exhibited the benefits and outcomes of collaboration efforts and strategies between fashion companies and stakeholders. Findings show that the overall results show that for both partners (collaborator and collaboratee) participating in collaboration, that the major benefits are reduction of costs and risks by sharing resource such as design power, image, costs, technology and targets, and creation of synergy. Regarding types of collaboration outcomes, product/design was most important (55%), followed by promotion (21%), price (20%), and place (4%). This result shows that collaboration plays an important role in giving life to products and designs, particularly in the fashion industry which seeks for creative and newness. To be successful in collaboration efforts, results of the depth interviews in this study confirm that fashion companies should have a clear objective on why they are doing the collaboration. After setting the objective, they should select collaboratees that match their brand image and target market, make quality co-products that have definite concepts and differentiating factors, and also pay attention to increasing brand awareness. Based on depth interviews with customers, customer benefits were categorized into six factors: pursuit for individual character; pursuit for brand; pursuit for scarcity; pursuit for fashion; pursuit for economic efficiency; and pursuit for sociality. Customers also placed more importance on image, reputation, and trust of brands regarding the cases shown in the interviews. They also commented that strong branding should come first before other marketing strategies. However, success factors recognized by experts and customers in this study showed different results by subcategories. Thus, target customers and target market should be studied from various dimensions to develop appropriate strategies for successful collaboration.